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PATENTE) PEB. 16, .19041. Y

, A. G. ENEASI- INGLOSING DEVICE. APLIUATION FILED NOV 14 1903 lnvi'zor ubrey i1/7:16a@

Olin/asses Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT AUBREY G. ENEAS, OF CHISWICK, ENGLAND.

INCLOSING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 752,537, dated February 16, 1904. Application filed November 14, 1903. Serial-N0. 181,187. (No model.)

ters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to-improvements in wrappers or other inclosing devices, being particularly concerned with the provision of transparent portions for such inclosing devices whereby the inclosed contents or portions thereof may be readily and easily viewed.

ceive attention and examination are passed i tions of the back may be fully observed with 100 My invention has particular application to inclosing devices for books-such, for example, as outer protecting-covers or book-wrappers and other inclosing cases used to protect books or book-covers from injury-although,

as will be evident, my invention is capable of more extended and further applications, `to which in describing the illustrative embodiment herein it is unnecessary to refen It is frequently desirable, particularly with delicately-bound books or those having elaborate cover designs or covers easily soiled, to incase such books in outside inclosing or Wrapping devices intended for their protection from injury. This is often the case where the book is in actual use and is generally desirable where the books are shelved or vdisplayed for sale, where they mustnecessarily be exposed to the damaging eiects of dust and in the latter case to continued handling. Outside covers or other inclosing devices heretofore used, however, have been open to the serious objection of concealingthe book-title, as Well as the cover design and any other display portion placed upon the book-cover. Suchv display portions must therefore either be reproduced upon the outside cover at considerable expense, or the latter must be removed in order that they may be seen.v This is a serious objection in book stores, where the use of outside covers greatly detracts from the ap.- pearance of the books both individually and as a Whole, while many books which from their meritorious cover design or from the matter displayed thereon would otherwise reover by possible purchasers. Moreover, those books which are kept for relatively long periods upon shelves or racks and which to be properly protected should be covered present a particularly uninteresting and unattractive display and cannot be seen to advantage. My invention provides in this respect a book-inclosing device which may be inade to adequately protect the book and bookvcovers from injury due to dust or handling as well when required from injury due to water, yet permitting the full observation of any display portion or portions upon the covers at all' times without the removal therefrom of the inclosing means.

My invention will be best understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying illustration of the disclosed specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings, Figure 1 shows one form of my invention as applied to a book-inclosing device. l Fig. 2 shows a number of shelved books protected by wrappers like that shown in Fig. l. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show different forms ofbook-inclosures constructed according to my invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. l, the inclos- V8o ing device therein shown comprises a flexible wrapper having a iiexible body portion a, which is formed of paper or any other suitable fabric. Such body portion is preferably dust-proof and Where such provision is desired may be rendered waterproof or waterresisting by any of the usual and ordinary waterproong methods. Such wrapper is of a height to correspond generally with the book to be protected, so that the same may be wrapped about the book-cover and by turning the free wrapper edges b inwardly between the hook and the iy-leaves caused to form an ordinary protecting book -co.ver. Suitably located in the wrapper-body a and preferably in a predeterminate relation to the book-back Aand the title and other matter displayed thereon I have inserted the transparent back-panel c, which here is also preferably of flexible sheet material and through which the opposing porsubstantially the same facility as if the outer cover were absent. Various substances may be employed to form the transparent lpanel c; but I preferably select some transparent sheet material, as celluloid or the like, particularly where exibility is desired, the same being also preferably dust and water proof. .n

The transparent panel may be secured to the cover-body a in any manner suited to the substances employed, but preferably by cementing or stitching'the overlapping faces of the panel to the wrapper. I have shown the panel as extending substantially to the upper and lower edges of the cover-body, such a construction tending to protect the upper and lower edges of the book-back by adding stiffness to the wrapper at those points. The overlapping edges of the book-cover act as reinforcing -strips for the panel to reinforce and strengthen the edges thereof; but I may employ, as shown, additional reinforcing-strips d, secured over the edges of the cover, or may, if desired, terminate the panel at the reinforcing-strips d, causing the latter to bind and protect the panel edge from injury. Another transparent panel e of such size and so located as to display any desired matter upon the side of the book is secured to the coverbody in a manner similar to that already described, and a corresponding panel for the opposite side of the cover might also be employed, although ordinarily the display matter is chiefly or wholly on the front bookcover, and the panel@ will sufiice.

The transparent portions of the outer cover Vmay be of any size and so located as desired,

the flexibility of the cover-body permitting lits application to books of varying width,

while the preferable exibility of the panel permits the wrapper or cover to adapt itself to the form of the book and overlie it closely at all points. Additional reinforcing-strips may be employed, if desired, across the face of any of the transparent panels to reinforce such panels, particularly when such. panels are of relatively large size or when they are to be subj'ected to extreme flexing. The panels may then consist of subdivided individual portions which may be parts of the same single sheet of transparent material or separate sheets united by the reinforcing-strips.

It is particularly desirable that a covering of the specific type illustrated in Fig. 1 should permit the opening and closing of the book without the necessity of its removal there-. from. To this end the side members of the covering or those overlying the side covers of the book should preferably be flexibly connected to permit the opening and closing' of the book irrespective of the flexibility'or nonflexibility of either the side members themselves or the intervening back part of the covering, including the transparent panel. iexible or hinging connection is obviously provided in the foregoing embodimentof my invention by the inherent flexibility of the body portion a. of the cover.

Fig. 2 shows a series of books fitted with protecting-covers like that shown in Fig. l las they appear upon a shelf,-presenting to view their backs only, but showing all the display matter thereupon.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a cover having a short box-like body portion f, adapted to slip over the back of the book and extending a short distance upon the sides` thereof, the back side of such inclosing device having a transparent back-panel c to expose the display matter upon the book-back. Such an inclosing device may be employed to protect abook where the back of such book only is exposed.

Fig. 4 shows a composite wrapper having the exible panel c secured at either side to flexible portions a.

In Fig. 5 I have shown my invention applied to a book-inclosing device consisting of a stiff inclosing and protecting cover f, into which the book may be slid from the entrance end g thereof, the opposite end being closed and provided with a transparent panel c, through which the book -back may be seen. The entrance end of this case may be subsequently closed by a cover or any other suitable closing means to provide a complete inclosure for the book or the same may be left open, as indicated in the drawings. ously additional panels may be employed, if desired. With this, as with the previouslydescribed book-coverings, the book may be engaged between the side `members of the covering by movement toward or away from the rear transparent panel in the binding protecting-wall which protects the back of the book, thus avoiding possible damage to or loosening of the transparent panel where it is connected to the body portion of the covering by the rubbing or scraping of the book-covers `over the edges or sides thereof.

I am aware that book-inclosing devices having portions of the inclosing walls cut away for the exposure of portions of the book covers or back have been employed, as have also book-covers wherein the inclosing walls or portions thereof are composed of some translucent but not transparent material, such as waxed paper or the like. In the first instance, however, such inclosing devices offer no protection where the walls are cutaway, while in the latter instance translucent material obscures both the color and design of the display matter and presents it with a distorted and deadened effect. v

It will be obvious that while I have shown the application of my invention to common inclosing covering or wrapping devices. This It will be further evident that while I have for illustrative purposes only described and shown my invention as applied to the specific IOO IIO

purpose set forth and as embodied in the speciiic forms referred to it is in no wise limited thereto, but that the same is capable of wide and extensive modication in form and embodiment as well as general application to many other uses not herein necessary to recite.

I claiml v l. A book-covering comprising a back p0rtion having a transparent area through whichsome display portion upon the book-back may be viewed yet protected, and side members. arranged on either side of said back portion and flexibly connected thereto whereby said side members may' engage andcover the bookcovers and open and close therewith, said back and the adjacent portions of said side members being. Otherwise substantially imperiorate.

2. A book-wrapper covering having a backprotecting portion provided with a transparent back-display area, substantially coextensive' cover-protecting portions flexibly connected therewith on either side thereof to permit them to be opened and Y,closed with the book-covers and relatively to said back-protecting lportion and the book-back and infolding wrapper-holding portions at the outer edges of said cover-protecting portion.

3. A book-covering comprising a rear proteeting wall having a transparent portion through which the book-back may be viewedl and identiied and permanently attached, substantially coextensive side members symmetrically arranged with reference to said rear protecting-wall between which the book may be engaged and disengaged by movement toward and away from the inner face of said rear protecting-wall.

4. The combination of a book with a protecting-covering therefor, the latter having protecting-covering side walls applied to and covering corresponding portions of the side wallsof the book-cover, and a rear bindingprotecting Wall applied to and covering the bcohback, said protecting -covering being provided with a transparent area predeterminately located with reference to a display portion upon the book-cover by means of which transparent area the said display portion may be/protected yet identied.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a iieXible wrapper having a generally rectangular shape with substantially straight sides, consisting Of a iiexible'sheet of wrapping fabric having the capacity for lfreely iiexing whereby said wrappermay be wrapped about objects dissimilar as to form and size, said wrapper having a transparent Wrapping portion having substantially the same capacity for freely flexing and through whicha portion or portions of the inclosed contents may be viewed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of'two subscribing witnesses.

`A. Gr. ENEAS.y `Witnessesz THOMAS B. BOOTH, EvERET'r S. EMERY. 

